Jim and Janice
by Disgarded
Summary: This is a one-shot AU featuring Jim Kirk and Janice Rand being friends.


_(I wrote this little one-shot because I wanted to see if I could put Janice Rand and Jim Kirk together, sharing a bed and even sharing a shower, with absolutely nothing but friendship between them. Because I love friendships that are just friendships and never move into sexual territory.)_

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><p>"It's about time you -"<p>

The words died in her throat when the captain appeared in the doorway looking as if he'd gone ten rounds with a Klingon.

He smiled a smile that looked more like a grimace than anything else, and stepped into the room, causing the door to slide shut behind him.

"Their idea of recreation is... intense," he offered, and his choice of words told her that he was still in 'diplomat' mode. "Intense" was certainly more diplomatic than "hellish", anyway.

This was their third day groundside on a planet whose name Janice couldn't pronouce, on a diplomatic mission to induct a race whose name she couldn't pronouce into the Federation. As usual, they were required to jump through all the local hoops in order to avoid offending the natives.

A team of five had beamed down: the captain, Dr. McCoy, Sulu, Lt. Guitto, and her, but for the most part, it seemed they were content to ignore everyone but the captain.

It wouldn't have been that bad... they really only seemed to want to show the captain a good time while the rest of the team relaxed in their lovely accomodations. The only snag was that this race was a bit sturdier than the typical human, and they're idea of a good time involved "intense" recreational activites that allowed the captain to see their planet 'in all its wild beauty.' (Apparently, they'd been just a bit horrified at how lacking many of the more developed planets were in natural resources.)

The captain limped carefully over his bags, snapping Janice out of her thoughts.

"What are you doing?"

He stopped, and considered her, confusion in his eyes. "I'm going to change..."

"Aren't you going to shower? It looks like you've got dirt in your hair."

"Mud, actually." He stopped, considering. "Well I guess it's dirt now since it's dry."

A gentle smirk.

"Frankly, I don't think I could raise my arms above my head at the moment, so I plan to just change and pass out for a while. Wake me for dinner?"

She frowned. It was only mid-morning. For some reason the natives liked to get everything done before noon, and then take the rest of the day off. Which would've been great, if not for the whole 'hellish recreation' thing they were so fond of.

"You seriously need to shower. You're not laying in this bed like that."

Words she never thought she'd say to him, seeing as they weren't dating, ever. He was attractive, yes, and she'd definitely grown fonder of him as she'd gotten to know him, but he was her captain, and there were some lines she just wouldn't cross.

Of course, no one had bothered to inform the natives that. They'd just assumed and put the two of them together in a room with only one bed. To be fair, it was a rather large bed, but that didn't mean she was going to sit idly by while he filled up his side with dried mud.

"Janice..."

She unleashed her glare on him. The one she used whenever he whined her name like a three-year-old.

"Look, you're not sleeping like that. Stip, and I'll meet you in the bathroom. I'll help you wash your hair."

She watched him consider. She knew that if she were almost anyone else, he'd be halfway through some sort of sexual innuendo by now, but he didn't go there with her - which was something she appreciated.

He must've finally come to the inevitable conclusion that he couldn't win this one, and he changed directions, shuffling off to the ensuite bathroom.

Janice dug her bathing suit out of her bag, glad that she'd thought to bring it. She took her time changing into it, in order to give him whatever time he needed as well. If he was hurt bad enough that he didn't think he could lift his arms, he'd probably have one hell of a time even getting the uniform off.

Somehow he'd managed, though. Janice walked into the bathroom to see him standing in front of the mirror wearing only a pair of dark blue boxer shorts. His chest was covered in black and deep blue splotches.

She turned the water on and adjusted the temperature so it'd start getting warm. "So what's the damage?"

He twisted a little, as if trying to get a look at one of the darker bruises that wrapped around his side. "Nothing broken. Looks like they missed my kidney, too, so it's not too bad.

Only Jim Kirk could look at his black and blue chest and use the words 'not too bad'. "What they hell was the game today?"

"It was kind of a cross between rugby and tennis. I'm not sure the translator got all the rules across. I got tackled a lot."

"Rugby and... tennis?

He smiled. "Yeah... sort of alien of them, isn't it?"

She nearly pushed him before she remembered how much pain it'd cause him. Instead she opened the shower door.

"Let's do this."

They stepped in together, and for once, Janice was pleased that the native population was a little bigger than the average human - it meant their showers were nice and roomy. Kirk stood under the warm spray, one hand pressed gently against the side of his chest where the bruising was the worst, and just closed his eyes.

"C'mere," she said, and positioned him right in front of her. She pulled his head down until it was resting on her bare shoulder, and she brought her hands up to scrub at his head. "Don't fall over."

He grunted an acknowlegement, and brought his free hand up to rest gently on her hip to steady himself.

It amazed her that someone so blatantly sexual could be so innocent when he wanted to be. She'd had it out with him the very first time he'd attempted to flirt with her. He flirted with everyone, she'd known even then that he didn't necessarily mean anything by it. But still, it made her uncomfortable, and she'd let him know in no uncertain terms that if he couldn't resist acting that way with her, she'd find another job.

And he'd turned it off. Just like that. She admired his self-control. He'd almost instantly gone from flirty innuendos, to geniune friendliness. There'd never been an awkward stage with them, he'd just immediatley started treating her like a sister. He joked, he teased, he was still _Jim_, but without the stupid sexual stuff she despised.

She pushed his head back briefly so she could get some shampoo into her hands, and then she brought his head back down to her shoulder and proceeded to wash it out. He stood stock still the entire time, eyes closed, head resting on her shoulder.

When she was finally done, she turned off the water and grabbed his elbow to guide him out the shower door. It seemed that whatever adrenaline had gotten him here had worn off, and he was clearly fighting to stay awake.

He rallied a bit as the cold air hit them, and she wrapped herself in a towel, and left him to dry and get dressed on his own.

When he finally shuffled back out, he had on a simple black t-shirt, and the soft pants he'd been sleeping in. She could see a couple bruises on his arms, and a lighter one she hadn't noticed before at his temple. She'd never understand him. The idea that she'd ever feel duty-bound to the point where she'd willing get beat up for her job... she just couldn't imagine it.

"Stop it. It's fine."

"Stop what?"

"Looking at me like I'm a kicked puppy. This isn't all that different from the bruises I'd get playing varsity football in school.

He eased himself onto the bed next to her, and settled onto his back. He turned his head to face her, and gave her a lopsided smile.

"Wake me for dinner?"


End file.
